Guard With a Knife

The Knicks, a group of "good-for-nothings", showed unprecedented morale and desire to win. They accumulated unprecedented self-esteem and self-confidence in one bizarre victory after another.

In contrast, the Lakers habitually entered a state of arrogance and underestimation. Their fifth game at Staples Center did not end the series. San Antonio's troika caught the Lakers on the defensive end. Slack, constantly playing great defensive counterattacks, although the Black Mamba roared and slapped his palms to motivate his teammates in the last quarter, but with Tim Duncan's two consecutive mid-range jumpers, the Lakers had to pay for their arrogance.

The Spurs pulled one back on the road and took the game back to San Antonio.

Although the Lakers still lead 3:2 and control the match point.

"If the Lakers still face the enemy with this arrogant attitude, the Spurs will definitely let them experience the tenacity of a veteran team."

ESPN commentator Bill Simmons said bluntly in his column: "If the Lakers want to win the championship, they must show 100% concentration. team."

Bill Simmons' criticism is extremely representative. Everyone believes that the Los Angeles people are habitually proud and underestimated the enemy. This incident actually happened in last year's finals.

At this time, the Los Angeles local media "Orange County Chronicle $" disclosed in the post-match report that Kobe Bryant was extremely dissatisfied with the performance of the players in this game, and he even lost his temper in the locker room. Bynum was attacked by him using "insulting" words, which once triggered Bynum's fierce resistance.

According to people familiar with the matter who did not want to be named, Bynum countered Kobe with an extremely displeased expression: If you miss a few shots, we will not lose at all. A defender who has hit the iron 17 times is not qualified to criticize his teammates for not being active enough in defense.

Bynum's counterattack triggered a violent rebound from the Black Mamba. If Fisher and Gasol did not separate them in time, the locker room even staged a full-scale martial arts.

When this internal strife was widely disseminated by the media, unfavorable voices about the Lakers immediately came out: After all, the Spurs are not a small team that broke into the Western Conference Finals by luck. Although the Lakers are superior in strength, if the Lakers appear With internal divisions, it is hard to predict who will win.

"I have said long ago that Kobe cannot coexist with any super center. Bynum has just shown the potential of a top center, and he can't tolerate it." Shaq O'Neal did not forget to jump out at this time to satirize his old partner: " If I were Bynum, I would immediately apply to the Lakers management for a trade...with me and without him, anyway, the Buss family is keen on this kind of alternative trick."

The old Shark obviously couldn't let go of the fact that the Lakers management traded himself to Miami in the summer of 2004.

And just when the outside world was full of doubts, Phil Jackson finally took the initiative to talk about the locker room disturbance before going to San Antonio.

"It was a meaningful fight, and I'm sure both sides are trying to make the team better."

"Both core players trying to change the game in their own way, it was a meaningful and manly exchange of ideas."

"I think the series is going to take a huge turn around here, and as long as the Lakers are serious enough, no other team will have a chance."

Zen Master's speech did not stop the public opinion from the outside world, but triggered a bigger discussion.

Because, Phil Jackson directly admitted the existence of contradictions in the locker room, and the vocabulary he used was the two core players.

To some extent, this is a discussion of the little shark and the black mamba.

"Zen Master is very good at this kind of dynamic balance in the locker room. During the OK period, he deliberately condoned the competition between Kobe and the Sharks, so as to achieve the purpose of better controlling the team. In fact, during the two years when Michael retired in the Bulls era, he I have also done work in this area, and Langley and Pippen have to fight almost every training game."

In a TNT program, Kenny Smith pointedly pointed out: "Phil Jackson is obviously going to make a big fuss."

"This is in line with Phil Jackson's character. In fact, the Lakers also have a certain degree of disputes within the Lakers as the old Buss's body gradually deteriorates. As Jenny Buss' boyfriend, Phil's behavior is not surprising at all. "Charles Barkley rarely agrees with Kenny Smith: "This is the best opportunity, you will never meet a Finals opponent like the Knicks again."

"Honestly, it wouldn't be a surprise if Phil Jackson suspended Kobe Bryant or Andrew Bynum for two games."

Charles Barkley's analysis got some skepticism from Jeff Van Gundy.

Jeff Van Gundy has been appearing as a special commentator since he stepped down from the coach of the Houston Rockets.

But recently, New York fans seem to think of this defensive master who once built a Jagged team in the 90s, and there have been calls for him to return to the Knicks.

And Jeff Van Gundy himself is very ambiguous about this. When reporters ask about this matter, he always evades his words, but always emphasizes that Snoopy is a natural defensive champion, and it is enough to build an iron-blooded team around him.

"Phil Jackson is indeed playing his locker room balance. But I don't think the Lakers suspending Bynum or Kobe will still not affect the analysis of the series results. The Lakers are indeed stronger, but the Knicks are not as expected. They are so weak. After all, the Knicks pay no less luxury tax than the Lakers. Most of their players have proven themselves."

"And, now under Snoopy's leadership, this team has a new look. The fifth game against the Atlanta Hawks has proved that they have the ability and confidence to play a good performance in the high pressure situation."

"The Lakers can underestimate the enemy, but not too much."

Jeff Van Gundy said so.

But it didn't lead to a discussion because the perception was ... even if the Lakers underestimated the enemy, they would still easily beat New York.

Even veteran Duke fan Barkley has no objection to this point.

On the day this episode aired, the Lakers won Game 6 in San Antonio.

Kobe Bryant made 28 of 42 shots in the game, scored an astonishing 65 points, and led his team to victory with a godlike attitude.

After the game, the Black Mamba faced the camera, still showing murderous looks: "No one can stop me from winning, I mean, no one!"

After finishing speaking, he emphasized again: "There is no one."

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